RENAULT is driving popular Channel 7 cooking-and-confrontation series My Kitchen Rules for this year, replacing Holden as the official automotive sponsor.

The French car-maker’s local arm will show its Koleos SUV during the year as the drive car for My Kitchen Rules (MKR) contestants and judges.

Channel 7 head of program partnerships, Katie Finney, said it was “fantastic to have Renault as the My Kitchen Rules auto partner for 2018”.

“France has produced some of the best chefs in the world including our very own Manu and makes Renault the perfect fit for Australia’s favourite cooking show,” she said: notwithstanding that the Koleos is made in Korea.

Renault Australia managing director Andrew Moore said: “Renault is a brand that stands for passion, tenacity and creativity and MKR captures all of these traits in a fiery competition to find Australia’s next best cooks.”

He described the TV show as “the perfect platform to showcase how the Renault brand is holding its own in the Australian market”.

“Partnering with one of Australia’s favourite reality shows will give us the chance to reach a whole new audience,” he said.

Season Nine of My Kitchen Rules starts on January 26.

By Neil Dowling